PGR Favicon
Personal Growth Resources
 
Mar 172012
 

[ad#468x60BannerAdsense]

Conspiracy theories generally make for an interesting backdrop to mystery and thriller fiction (aka Ludlum). In a bit of a twist, Utopian Frontiers: A story of hope (Burman Books, 2012), provides a reverse conspiracy backdrop, a secret research city devoted to bringing utopia to humankind. Recognizing humankind is racing forward to self-destruction of its environment, a  secret, multi-government sponsored research facility, hidden in a national park, is working to finding the answers to humankind’s salvation.

Somehow, this benign form of conspiracy isn’t near as exciting as one with threats of world domination, but aside from that, Utopian Frontiers provides a host of “what-ifs” that will challenge and stimulate your thinking.

What if a city of 100,000 could function with no government, no institutions in control, no bosses, and phenomenal use of technology to provide all its inhabitants’ needs and wants? And get this, this research city, termed a “facity,” uses no money nor other medium of purchase or debt exchange.

People do what they do out of interest in learning and developing the processes and materials of sustainable future life, fully co-existing with nature and ecological preservation.

No government, no taxes, no credit cards (they do have carbon cards to provide self-review of one’s carbon imprint actions), no economic gain or loss from one’s actions. But don’t people run amuck stealing, murdering, cheating? No. If everyone has everything they need and want there’s no incentive to take from others, nor to dominate others. Peaceful co-existance, cooperation, and contribution are more satisfying.

But don’t get hung up arguing over whether a society can function long term this way, the technology revealed in Utopian Frontiers is mind-boggling and comes at you in rapid fire sequence page after page—nearly too much to absorb.

Utopian Frontiers is not the latest from one of the giants of science fiction genre, it’s the product of Utopian Frontiers Foundation, a non profit organization dedicated to developing multi-media works intended to educate and provoke meaningful discourse on global environmental concerns – including the relationship between humankind and technology.

Visit Utopian Frontiers for information about the book, the organization or the music.  Order your copy.

Watch for future articles on this site. Better yet, Subscribe to Your Purposeful Growth Update by Email

Jerry Lopper – Personal Growth Resources

Build your life on a foundation of life purpose

Nov 242008
 

This Thanksgiving message is inspired by Lance White, a Senior Vice President at UBS financial services.

Lance wrote:

“We have so much to be thankful for. While we confront a world certainly not to our liking, it is important to focus on things that have changed for which we are all profoundly grateful.

Our flag is still here.
Our freedom is intact.
Ordinary Americans have shown, yet again, they are still heroes.
The bounty of our harvest, unparalleled.
A day in which we pause to give thanks…still here.
So much…still here.”

To this I add:

I’m still here.
My loved ones are still here.
My health…still here.
Food, shelter, warmth…still here.
My mind, still here.
The bountiful experiences of life…still here.
The beauty of love, still here.
So much…still here.

I am grateful on this day and every day.

 Posted by at 10:20 am
Aug 232006
 

Most of us, most of the time want more. We want more money, more love, more happiness, more time, more satisfaction, more respect, and the list goes on. Everything we desire, for most of us, seems scarce.

Scarcity is an illusion.

Of all the illusions we humans harbor, the illusion of scarcity may affect our daily lives the most. Believing there isn’t enough to go around, we compete for our share of life’s stuff–money, food, natural resources, and love– making life harder than it need be. Peace and contentment follows when you know you have enough–and life is easy.

When is enough enough? When you say it is. If you’re being true to who you really are and doing what naturally results from who you are, then you probably already have enough. A great secret of life–it must be a secret since so few people apply it–is that when you do what you love to do and live your life’s purpose you will have enough of life’s stuff. It will come to you naturally and effortlessly. That’s how the Universe works.

Will you get “your fair share?” There’s no such thing, so stop keeping score. Rather than question if you’re getting your share ask this each day, “Is this who I am? Am I being the true me?” Being who you really are and fulfilling life purpose takes care of everything.

The one thing we humans crave the most–love–is available in abundance. God’s love is always with us, all ways. All the love you could ever desire is already within your grasp. Abundant love is yours with one simple step–love others fully and unconditionally. Generously giving love signals the Universe that you have abundant love and the Universe always complies and sees to it that you do. The source of love within you is inexhaustible, the more you give the more you have.

Do you look around and see scarcity? Do you see the abundance others have and envy them? If you focus on scarcity with your thoughts, your talk, and your actions, you will keep scarcity in your life. Focus on your abundance. Everyone has abundance of some sort. Maybe your abundance is humor, or love, or generosity, or wisdom. Focus on the abundance you do have and let the Universe take care of the rest.

Know there is enough of all of our precious resources for
everyone–enough money, food, natural resources, and love. Give generously of your treasures and your special skills. Compete with another only when both parties agree that a competition will be great fun–never compete under other circumstances.

Many believe that competition is good for us; they quote “survival of the fittest” as if that’s a holy truth. We already are surviving. Now we’re looking for happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in our lives. Competition doesn’t yield those results. But that’s the subject of another article.

Relevant Articles:

Ten Steps to an Easy Life

Purpose is the Foundation of an Easy Life

Believe in an Easy Life

Spending Habits and the Easy Life

Connections Make Life Easier

Sitting in Judgement and the Easy Life

Acceptance and the Easy Life

Unconditional Love and the Easy Life

 Posted by at 5:11 pm
Jul 162006
 

A very significant source of hardship in life is debt. When you spend less than you earn, you eliminate a major source of life struggle. The invention of credit allowed people with modest incomes to make a major purchase, such as a home, and pay it off over time. The new homeowner benefits from the joy of home ownership (the burdens of home maintenance and upkeep are another story) and the creditor makes some income in exchange for the loan; everyone wins.

Until, that is, we extend the buy now/pay later concept first to cars, then TV’s, vacations, and finally to clothing, groceries, and other every day staples. Suddenly, the borrower is overwhelmed, or at least under constant stress to juggle payments, hold two jobs, and appease creditors. Not the recipe for an easy life.

Despite the urging of marketing America to consume more things, the life often portrayed as the “good life” can be a major deterrent to an easy life. Easy access to credit cards, no interest payments for months, and a transparent appeal to the ego to be happy, popular, and smart by buying more stuff all conspire to encourage overspending.

The happiness we feel when we purchase that new car, flat screen TV, or Disney World vacation on credit is short lived indeed. Happiness resulting from need satisfaction is always brief and disappointing. True happiness–the joy of your soul–comes from within. It is available to all of us at any time. You can bring it forth when you glimpse your soul through meditation or self reflection, when you touch
another soul by giving unconditional love, and when you share the wonder of the Universe by living completely in the present moment.

The simple act of living within your means to earn–spending less than you earn–not only brings its own share of ease to your life, but also eliminates external stress and anxiety
which contribute to a life of struggle.

If you’re spending more and enjoying it less, break the cycle. If you juggle your bills every month–paying some while putting off others–yet still go shopping to feel good about yourself, look for joy within by going without.

Your joy in life comes not from what you buy, but from who you are. Build your life on the foundation of being who you are. This, of course, presumes you have taken that inner
journey of self understanding and now know your purpose in life. Without this knowing, your life may be a constant search for external gratification. With the knowing, you will find joy in the easy process of being yourself–the
easy life.

You’ll find more information here on Purpose in Life courses.

There are many helpful resources for credit education and intervention programs. Unfortunately, I cannot make specific recommendations.

Related Articles:

Ten Steps to an Easy Life

 Posted by at 1:19 pm